Sylvester Stallone isn’t involved in I Play Rocky in any official capacity, but he does seem to have given the biopic his seal of approval. The legendary actor reposted the film’s trailer on social media and offered his congratulations to the cast and crew.
The film revolves around the making of Rocky, the 1976 movie that launched Stallone’s career and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
“Every story has a beginning and I’m excited to see this one brought to life,” Stallone wrote. “Congratulations to the cast and crew of I Play Rock. Keep punching.“
Once the movie has been released, it will be interesting to see a more in-depth reaction from Stallone. After all, this is the beginning of his Hollywood story.
Frank Stallone, Sylvester’s younger brother, also recently reacted to the project. Although he’s liked what he’s seen so far, he’s reserving judgment until he’s able to watch the final movie.
“Since the trailer of I Play Rocky was released, I’ve been getting bombarded with questions and my opinion,” he said. “At first when I heard about this film I was overprotective of the legacy of my brother and the film. I think the actor portraying my brother is fantastic. But it would be disingenuous of me to make any opinion without yet seeing the film. It’s somewhat of an honor 50 yrs after its release that someone would want to document the history of my brother and the much loved character of Rocky. So think we should all sit back and wait till it’s released to make any judgement. Who knows we hopefully may all be pleasantly surprised!“
Anthony Ippolito (The Offer) stars as Stallone in the movie, alongside Matt Dillon (Wayward Pines) as Frank Stallone Sr., AnnaSophia Robb (Rebel Ridge) as Sylvester’s first wife, Sasha Czack, Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk) as Carl Weathers, and more. Peter Farrelly (Green Book) directs from a script by Peter Gamble (Trenches).
I Play Rocky “tells the true story of an unknown actor with an unshakable belief that he wasn’t just meant to write Rocky — he was meant to be Rocky Balboa. Told no at every turn, Stallone bets everything on himself, holding the line on playing the lead against seemingly impossible odds. The result is the ultimate underdog story behind the ultimate underdog movie.“
It was announced just last week that I Play Rocky will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, which is slated to run from September 10 to September 20.
The film will debut in select theaters on November 6 before opening nationwide on November 20.